Studies have found that matching a good skin care regimen with a healthy lifestyle is the best way to slow the signs of aging.

And, unless you’ve discovered some rip in time, we’re all going to experience wrinkles at some point in our lives.

It’s a natural part of aging.

In fact, it’s one of the defining attributes of aging! But what causes wrinkles?

A survey of 2,000 women by Superdrug, a beauty and health retailer, found that women start worrying about signs of aging on average at the tender age of 29, with wrinkles and sagging being the top two concerns.

According to a study by Allergan, most of us ladies are noticing the appearance of fine lines.

Did you know that not all wrinkles are created equal?

It was traditionally believed that wrinkles fell into just two categories:

Dynamic Wrinkles – Those lines that result from repeated facial movements (such as smiling) that form creases in the skin.

Static Wrinkles – The lines that occur from your skin losing elasticity and collagen and that eventually sag.

Each type of wrinkle has their own internal and external causes, which I’ll elaborate on.

Today, I’m going to give you a breakdown of different types of wrinkles, what causes wrinkles and my best tips to treat them so you can have healthy, youthful skin for years to come!

4 Different Types of Wrinkles and What Causes Them

1. Atrophic Crinkling Rhytids

These wrinkles are those little parallel lines that disappear when your skin is stretched taut.

They can occur on your face, or anywhere on your body (think of those little wrinkles you may have on your chest.)

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What Causes Them

These lines are a result of a loss of collagen and elasticity which leads to skin sagging.

The main culprit?

Sun damage.

UV exposure unleashes free radicals in our skin that break down collagen and elastin, the building blocks that give our skin firmness and structure.

Make sure you wear daily SPF sun protection, especially on your face, neck, and chest (as well as other exposed areas)!

2. Permanent Elastic Creases

These are crease lines that end up becoming permanent wrinkles as we age.

These little guys tend to show up on our cheeks, upper lip, and the base of our necks.

What Causes Them

As with the last type, repeated sun exposure can make these lines worse.

Smokingis also a big factor in deepening these creases, like those lines you get around your lips from repeatedly pursing your mouth.

But that’s not all.

Whenever you smoke, you expose the surface of your skin to all kinds of chemicals and carcinogens.

Plus, when you inhale, you inhibit your body’s ability to circulate oxygen to your skin, which it needs to heal and form healthy skin cells (one of the reasons smoking often results in a dull complexion).

Stop smoking already!

Your complexion and your body will thank you.

One stunning study looked at twins who aged differently as a result of different lifestyle habits.

In this example, Brenda (left) smokes ½ a pack per day and has had 7 times as much sun exposure as her twin counterpart, Barb (right), leaving her looking years older.

Dr. Bahman Guyuron, plastic surgeon at Cleveland’s Case Western Reserve University, notes that Brenda’s wrinkles around her mouth and under her eyes are telltale signs of a smoker.

3. Dynamic Expression Lines

These fun lines are the ones I mentioned up top that you get from repeated facial muscle movements that cause creases in the skin that become more permanent.

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They usually show up around the mouth, eyes, and forehead.

What Causes Them

You get these lines from basically living your life and being a human being.

They’re like a collection of little moments from every time you’ve squinted on a sunny day, laughed at an inside joke, or frowned when a character gets killed off on your favorite show.

Unless you want to become a robot and stop expressing yourself, you’re gonna get these lines and creases on your face.

Wear those lines with pride! They’re badges of honor from the experiences of a life lived!

4. Gravitational Folds

These are those wrinkles that occur naturally with age as our skin loses structure and starts to fold and sag.

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What Causes Them

As the name suggests, time + gravity = gravitational folds.

You can chalk this one up to good ol’ aging.

As we get older, our skin starts to lose collagen and elastin leading to wrinkling and sagging.

Researchers found that these lines are more apparent on a lean face with thinner skin and that a plumper face with thicker skin will show less of these types of folds.

What Can I Do About Wrinkles?

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One of your best bets to guard against wrinkles is to prevent rather than treat.

Don’t wait until you start seeing little lines pop up to start using anti-aging products in your skincare.

Incorporate those youth-boosting formulas now to stop wrinkles before they start!

Let’s look at some of my top tips for skincare habits that will give you smooth, youthful skin.

Not today, wrinkles!

Use SPF EVERY. DARN. DAY.

According to Skincancer.org, 90% of visible skin aging is caused by sun exposure and subsequent damage.

When our skin is damaged by UV exposure, free radicals age skin by causing hyperpigmentation, compromising our skin’s texture, and breaking down collagen and elastin which leads to sagging and, yes, wrinkles.

All you have to do to avoid sun aging is make sure and wear daily SPF protection!

Helen Myron

As an older woman, I can be somewhat hesitant about trying out new beauty products but after looking at some of my pictures I noticed how tired I was looking and I decided maybe I can reduce some of the puffiness around my eyes. After reading the reviews of the Made from Earth Advanced Eye Repair I thought it’d be worth to give it a shot. After just 2-3 days of using it, my colleagues at work noticed and said it looks like I’ve finally gotten some rest or that it looks like maybe I’ve fallen in love. LOL!

Alana

Sunita S Ekbote

Lost a lot of weight and have had a lot of time in sun plus doing Keto. People think I am way older than what i am. My forehead has deep lines and i have laugh lines which may have become ecen prominent because of rapid weight loss. Hair loss as well. Pl recommend creams and pills as well

paula reese

unfortunately, I started to get fine line wrinkles (crows feet), all around my eyes made me look tired. I tried the eye cream above, but got few results. For the last 3 months I have been using Made from Earth’s Advanced Eye Repair and I am sticking with it.

I noticed with the Made from Earth Eye Repair the wrinkles around my eyes are getting smoother (less noticable) and my eyes look less tired. I saw results after only a month, and it keeps getting better so I am sticking with this one.

Jacqueline

Hi. I have excessively dry skin. No deep lines but it’s as though my entire face is covered in lots if very fine lines on the surface going in all directions. I like to wear foundation but this seems to accentuate all those fine lines and it looks even worse. I am 58. How can I diminish all those fine lines. Many thanks.

Sn

So, where can I include the anti-aging product in the routine (Cleanser:Toner:Serum:Moisturizer: Sunscreen)
I’m 25 and I can see some Dynamic wrinkle lines on my forehead which is barely not visible; need to look closer to find those lines. However, I want to prevent it from being thickened.